Further Growth in Construction Impossible Without AI: Marat Khusnullin Identifies the Industry's Main Challenge at IPM Exhibition
Further Growth in Construction Impossible Without AI: Marat Khusnullin Identifies the Industry's Main Challenge at IPM Exhibition
14 May
Given the shortage of personnel and rising volumes, achieving the targeted 22% increase in labour productivity in construction by 2030 is impossible without artificial intelligence.
At the plenary session "Artificial Intelligence - New Efficiency" in the construction industry, held as part of the International Property Market (IPM) exhibition and conference, participants discussed how artificial intelligence is already helping to build faster and more cheaply, yet its large-scale adoption in Russia is hampered by a lack of unified data standards, integration of existing systems, and clear regulation that would stimulate innovation rather than hinder it.
Marat Khusnullin, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, delivered the keynote address. He stressed that the construction industry today is a key driver of the country's economy, accounting for over 20% of GDP. This represents 40 trillion roubles in revenue and 13 million jobs. By the end of 2025, Russia achieved a historic record: 150 million square metres of real estate were commissioned.
Marat Khusnullin noted that maintaining such pace without loss of quality requires a digital transformation, and one of the principal tools here is artificial intelligence. In accordance with the instruction of the President of the Russian Federation, AI technologies are already being used by a number of domestic companies for safety monitoring on construction sites and risk forecasting. This makes it possible to shorten project timelines, reduce costs from design through to operation, and improve the quality of construction.
The Deputy Prime Minister spoke in detail about state support measures and organisational solutions. In April of this year, a Centre of Competence in Artificial Intelligence was established under Glavgosexpertiza, which will be tasked with introducing AI into the work of state and non-state expert reviews. The Industrial Competence Centre for Construction is actively working, developing domestic solutions to replace foreign ones. DOM.RF is building a unified data platform for developers and regions and launching a marketplace of verified AI solutions for the housing sector.
"We must increase labour productivity in construction by 22% by 2030. The shortage of labour resources is catastrophic. The area displays growth year on year. Over the past 6 years, the figures have grown by 34%. And, of course, the continued growth of the construction sector, and indeed the development of the national economy as a whole, will be impossible in the future without information technology and artificial intelligence," the Deputy Prime Minister stated, highlighting the acute problem.
Grigory Borisenko, Deputy Minister of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media of the Russian Federation, spoke about how the problem of the lack of clear regulation in the field of AI is being addressed. For a long time, it was considered too early to adopt laws, but a special law on the development and application of neural networks was subsequently drafted. The following approach was chosen: regulation should not constrain innovation, but merely structure existing developments.
Borisenko also reported that 72 educational programmes in the field of AI are currently operating in the country to train personnel, with nearly 5,000 first-year students studying with the support of over 50 IT companies.
In addition, a "Digital Region" portal has been created for the regions, containing around 500 proven solutions for AI implementation, which makes it possible to replicate best practices across the country.
Marat Aizatullin, Minister of Construction, Architecture, and Housing and Communal Services of the Republic of Tatarstan, used a specific example to demonstrate how the region is tackling the problem of data fragmentation and the lack of accurate information on utility networks. Since 2025, an information model of the construction complex has been under implementation in Tatarstan, linking all regional systems. Over two thousand users are already working in the system, and more than 140,000 applications across 22 services have been processed. The modernisation has enabled a reduction in service delivery times and the minimisation of errors.
Separately, Aizatullin spoke about the "Consolidated Plan of Engineering Communications", which is a unified database of underground networks. For citizens, this means shorter outage times, transparency of repairs, and tariff restraint. For builders, it brings precise knowledge of where networks run, which factors reduce risks and design costs.
Nikolay Kozak, Managing Director of DOM.RF, presented three practical tools that address the main barrier to AI integration – the absence of high-quality, unified, and accessible data. Firstly, an industry data platform with open, free datasets from DOM.RF, developers, and other companies. Secondly, a marketplace of best practices, which has just been launched. The marketplace, with six sections (computer vision, recommendation systems, predictive modelling, language processing, large language models, and generative AI), provides verified and secure solutions. Thirdly, an industry consulting centre that helps developers and regions implement AI, conducts research, and evaluates effectiveness.
Pavel Chasovskikh, Deputy Chairman of the Industrial Competence Centre “Stroitelstvo” (“Construction”) under the Russian Ministry of Construction and Head of the “Exon” Group of Companies, also identified a systemic problem: Russian software exists for various stages of construction, but the data within them is stored in different formats, is not interconnected, and is not transferred into a unified system.
Chasovskikh also listed the most promising solutions that the ICC considers priorities: generative design, digital assistants, construction progress monitoring, site safety, and cost management. However, the main task now is not to create new tools, but to integrate existing ones into real processes and information systems.
"The application of AI is a serious step towards reducing bureaucratic procedures and easing routine processes for builders at every stage, from pre-design to operation. We really can build faster, better, and focus on what we are building and for whom. But to make this a reality, a systemic overhaul lies ahead," the expert concluded.
As a reminder, the International Property Market exhibition and conference runs until 15 May inclusive at the Kazan Expo International Exhibition Centre as part of the International Economic Forum "Russia – Islamic World: KazanForum 2026". The use of artificial intelligence in construction is the key topic this year.
At the plenary session "Artificial Intelligence - New Efficiency" in the construction industry, held as part of the International Property Market (IPM) exhibition and conference, participants discussed how artificial intelligence is already helping to build faster and more cheaply, yet its large-scale adoption in Russia is hampered by a lack of unified data standards, integration of existing systems, and clear regulation that would stimulate innovation rather than hinder it.
Marat Khusnullin, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, delivered the keynote address. He stressed that the construction industry today is a key driver of the country's economy, accounting for over 20% of GDP. This represents 40 trillion roubles in revenue and 13 million jobs. By the end of 2025, Russia achieved a historic record: 150 million square metres of real estate were commissioned.
Marat Khusnullin noted that maintaining such pace without loss of quality requires a digital transformation, and one of the principal tools here is artificial intelligence. In accordance with the instruction of the President of the Russian Federation, AI technologies are already being used by a number of domestic companies for safety monitoring on construction sites and risk forecasting. This makes it possible to shorten project timelines, reduce costs from design through to operation, and improve the quality of construction.
The Deputy Prime Minister spoke in detail about state support measures and organisational solutions. In April of this year, a Centre of Competence in Artificial Intelligence was established under Glavgosexpertiza, which will be tasked with introducing AI into the work of state and non-state expert reviews. The Industrial Competence Centre for Construction is actively working, developing domestic solutions to replace foreign ones. DOM.RF is building a unified data platform for developers and regions and launching a marketplace of verified AI solutions for the housing sector.
"We must increase labour productivity in construction by 22% by 2030. The shortage of labour resources is catastrophic. The area displays growth year on year. Over the past 6 years, the figures have grown by 34%. And, of course, the continued growth of the construction sector, and indeed the development of the national economy as a whole, will be impossible in the future without information technology and artificial intelligence," the Deputy Prime Minister stated, highlighting the acute problem.
Grigory Borisenko, Deputy Minister of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media of the Russian Federation, spoke about how the problem of the lack of clear regulation in the field of AI is being addressed. For a long time, it was considered too early to adopt laws, but a special law on the development and application of neural networks was subsequently drafted. The following approach was chosen: regulation should not constrain innovation, but merely structure existing developments.
Borisenko also reported that 72 educational programmes in the field of AI are currently operating in the country to train personnel, with nearly 5,000 first-year students studying with the support of over 50 IT companies.
In addition, a "Digital Region" portal has been created for the regions, containing around 500 proven solutions for AI implementation, which makes it possible to replicate best practices across the country.
Marat Aizatullin, Minister of Construction, Architecture, and Housing and Communal Services of the Republic of Tatarstan, used a specific example to demonstrate how the region is tackling the problem of data fragmentation and the lack of accurate information on utility networks. Since 2025, an information model of the construction complex has been under implementation in Tatarstan, linking all regional systems. Over two thousand users are already working in the system, and more than 140,000 applications across 22 services have been processed. The modernisation has enabled a reduction in service delivery times and the minimisation of errors.
Separately, Aizatullin spoke about the "Consolidated Plan of Engineering Communications", which is a unified database of underground networks. For citizens, this means shorter outage times, transparency of repairs, and tariff restraint. For builders, it brings precise knowledge of where networks run, which factors reduce risks and design costs.
Nikolay Kozak, Managing Director of DOM.RF, presented three practical tools that address the main barrier to AI integration – the absence of high-quality, unified, and accessible data. Firstly, an industry data platform with open, free datasets from DOM.RF, developers, and other companies. Secondly, a marketplace of best practices, which has just been launched. The marketplace, with six sections (computer vision, recommendation systems, predictive modelling, language processing, large language models, and generative AI), provides verified and secure solutions. Thirdly, an industry consulting centre that helps developers and regions implement AI, conducts research, and evaluates effectiveness.
Pavel Chasovskikh, Deputy Chairman of the Industrial Competence Centre “Stroitelstvo” (“Construction”) under the Russian Ministry of Construction and Head of the “Exon” Group of Companies, also identified a systemic problem: Russian software exists for various stages of construction, but the data within them is stored in different formats, is not interconnected, and is not transferred into a unified system.
Chasovskikh also listed the most promising solutions that the ICC considers priorities: generative design, digital assistants, construction progress monitoring, site safety, and cost management. However, the main task now is not to create new tools, but to integrate existing ones into real processes and information systems.
"The application of AI is a serious step towards reducing bureaucratic procedures and easing routine processes for builders at every stage, from pre-design to operation. We really can build faster, better, and focus on what we are building and for whom. But to make this a reality, a systemic overhaul lies ahead," the expert concluded.
As a reminder, the International Property Market exhibition and conference runs until 15 May inclusive at the Kazan Expo International Exhibition Centre as part of the International Economic Forum "Russia – Islamic World: KazanForum 2026". The use of artificial intelligence in construction is the key topic this year.
